Speed-indicator.



F. S. KIRK.

SPEED INDICATOR. APPLICATION FILED JULY 24. i915.

l 1 90,298. Patented July 11, 1916.

MIIIH g FRANK S. KIRK, OF ENID, OKLAHOMA.

SPEED-INDICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 11, 1916.

Applicationfiled July 24, 1915. Serial No. 41,736.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK S. KIRK, a citizen of the United States,residin at Enid, in the county of Garfield and tate of Oklahoma, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Speed-Indicators, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanyingrdrawings. I

- his invention relates to certain improvements in speed indicators, andit is an object of the invention to provide a novel and improved -deviceof this general character whereby a si nal, either audible or visual, isgiven upon t e speed of the vehicle, to which the indicator is attached,being in excess of certain limitations.

Furthermore, it'is an object of the invention to provide a novel andimproved device of th1s general character whereby the operator of thevehicle to which the improved indicator is applied may be warned i thatthatravel of the vehicle is closely approaching a s eed limit.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in thecombination and arrangement of the several parts ofmy proved speedindicator whereby certain 1mportant advantages are attained and thedevice is rendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise more convenientand advan= tageous for use, all as will be hereinafter more fully setforth.

The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in theappended claim.

In order that my invention may be the better understood, I will nowproceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein is disclosed a diagrammatic view illustrating anindicator constructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention.

As disclosed in the accompanying drawings, 1 denotes the dial of aspeedometer of any ordinary or preferred construction and with whichcoacts the index or pointer 2, said index or pointer 2 being inelectrical connection through the medium of the conductor a with asuitable source of electrical energy, said source being either a batteryS or a magnet M, said conductor coacting with either of said sourcesthrough the medium of a conventional switch A. v

3 denotes a contact adjustably secured to the dial 1 and in electricalconnection through the medium of the conductor 6 with the signal 4 sopositioned upon the vehicle as to be readily observed by assers-by sothat when said signal, whic is herein dis closed as a conventionalincandescent lamp, is burning indication will be given that the vehicleis traveling at a speed in excess of a predetermined limit.

In practice, I find it of particular advantage to employ a plurality ofcontact plates 3 so as to provi e for the various speed limits asgenerally arranged for business districts, residential districts,suburban districts and State limits, and immediately preceding each of,the contact plates 3 is the smaller contact member 4 insulated from theadjacent plate or plates 3 and each of said .plates 4 is in electricalconnection through the medium of a conductor a, with the buzzer B whichu on sounding gives notice to the o erator o the vehicle that anexcessive spec is being closely approached.

The remaining plates 3 are in electrical connection through theconductors (Z and e with the signals 5 and 6 also preferablyincandescent lamps and arranged in parallelism with the signal 6 is'theaudible signal 7, helrlein disclosed as a conventional electric Inpractice, I desire to have the signals 4, 5 and 6 of differing colors sothat the various speeds of the vehicle may be readily determined and itWill be observed that when the vehicle is traveling in excess of thehighest speed limit, the audible signal 7 will also be caused to oerate. It will also be observed that as the index or pointer 8 passesfrom one plate 3 to a second late that the previously burnin lamp wil becut out so that at no time wi 1 there be more than one of the signals 4,5 or 6 in operation.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself as to the mannerwhereby the various electrical connections are afforded but, as hereindisclosed, I have the circuits for the lamps and the buzzer mounted, asindicated at G. As herein embodied, the first contact plate 3 readingfrom the left of the dial 1 ives indication when the speed limit of theusiness district is exceeded, the second plate 3 is intended to giveindication When the speed limit of the residential district has beenpassed, the third. late is to give indication when the subur an speedimit or other special provision, such as boulevards or the like, hasbeen reached,

,while'the fourth plate serves to give indication that the State speedlimit has been reached. l t

From the foregoln descrlption, it is thought to be obvious t at a speedindicator constructed in accordance with my invention is of an extremelysimpleand comparatively inexpensive nature and 1s particularly welladapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which itmay be assembled, and it'will also be obvious that my invention is suscetible .of some change and modification wit out material de arture'fromthe scope of the appended c aim and for this reason I do not wish to beunderstood as limiting myself to the precise of a speedometer, a sourceof electrical energy in communication with the index, a plurality ofcontact plates carried by the dial and with which the index is adaptedto contact, said contact plates being arranged circular or concentric tothe rotative axis of the index, alternate contact plates being of alength materially less than the intermediate contact plates, and asignal in electrical communication witheach of the contacts, the signalin communication with the alternate contact plates being audible and thesignals in contact with the intermediate plates bein visual.

In testimony w ereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

' FRANK S. KIRK. Witnesses:

GUY, S. MANATT, HAROLD P. Mom.

